Improvement in sleeping-cars



UN ED ASTV-ATES PATENT WILLIAM H. PAIGE, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSAOIIUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN SLEEPlNG-CARS.

Specitication forming part of Letters Patent No. 181.005. dated August 15, 1876; application filed Totali whom it may ooncew:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. PAIGE, of

Springfield, in the State of Massachusetts,- 'have nvented a new and useful Improvement in SleepingCars; and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawfortable and easy; to lessen the expense of Construction of slee'ping-cars; to render them more spacious and roomy; to make them lighter'in weight, and, consequently, cheapen the expense of transportation of such cars. To this end my invention cons sts ot' a movahle frame, andjseat-backs arranged between, every two having their backs adjoining, within which frames are arranged rolls, upon which to wind, and with which to stretch taut, the canvas webs which support the bedding, and with which to elevate the upper berths to the proper height, as Will be more fully hereinafter described.

Figure I is alongitudinal vertical section of so much of a car and *its seats as is necessary to illustrate my. invention as applied thereto. Fig. II is a side 'elevation of one of the seatbacks and the movable frame Operating therein. Fig. IlI is a plan view of one of the seatbacks; and Fig. IV is an end view of so muchof one of the seat-backs, or, rather, of the framework between two adjacent seat-backs, as is required to show the ratchet and pawl which hold the rolls in place when adjusted. i

In 'the drawing, B represents theinside of a car, and A represents the seats; and A a frame-work of wood placed in between the two adjacent scats A. Inside this -framework A" (shown clearly in Fig. II, and in section in Fig. I) is placed a fraine, made preferably of iron pipo, as being stronger, and so disposed as to move freely up and down within the frame-work A' and two rolls, c and b, are

arranged to turn in bearings in the end pieces H of the framework A, with one end of a cord, 'i', Secured to and wound upon the roll I), the other end being attached to the lower part of the frame A, so that by turning the lower February 11. 1876.

roll I in one direction the frame D maybe raised, and by turning it in an opposite direction the frame D may be lowered. The top rail E ot' the seat-back is attached to the frane D in any convenient nanner, and the seatback 0 is attached thereto, one on each side, by any suitable means, preferably by hooks a', so that the backs may be rcadily removed, and

the top has an opening, s, therein, extending nearly the whole length ot' the rail, to one side or edge of which opening is hinged a netallic cover, o, having hooks or fastenings m' on the inside. To the side of the car, just in front ot' the seat-back, is fixed a knob or projection, a, to keep the seat-back in place; and the outer ends of the rolls o and l may be made prismatic at t, to apply a winch or key to turn the rolls, the latter being provided with a ratchet and pawl, u v, to securely hold the rolls in the position into which they may be turned. The Inattress-support m consists of a strong eanvas web, provided with eyes or fastenings at one end, to attach it securely to the fastenings m' on the inside of the hinged cover o when open, as shown clearly in Fig. I, and this web,

when arranged for use as a berth, extends from said fastenings m' upon one seat top or rail, E, back to the next rail, and down through the opening s therein, and is attached to and wound upon the roll c. The Web a, forming the lower berth, is attached at one end to the frame D, or to a cross-bar, e, thereon, and extends back, (the seat-backs being raised,) and is wound upon the same roll, c, that the upper web m is wound upon.

The curtains h are attached to hooks or fastenings w in the top of the car, and are attached, at their lower ends, to the webs m by fastenings h', and from the partitions between the upper berths.

The operation of my invention is as follows:

When it is desired to make up the berths, the

Winch or key is appled to the prismatic end t of the lower roll b, and the latter turned to raise the frame D, seat-hacks C, and top rail E into the position shown in Figs. I and II, by winding the cord 'i' upon said roll, the knobs or projections a causing the seat-backs 0 to assume an approximate vertical position, and holding them firm. The winch is 'theu applied to the roll e, and turned so as to loosen FFIE.,

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the webs m and n a little, and the hinged cover 0 is then opened, and the end of the web m detnched from the t'astenings m', and the roll c turned so as to unwind the two webs m and n sufliciently to extend them to the next top rail E and frame D, to which their ends are secured, as before described, and as shown in Fig. I. The curtain h is then Suspended from the fastenings w, and its lower end attached to the web m by the fastenings IL', and the roll c is turned to stretch both webs 'n and n and the curtain h all taut at the same time, the rolls c and b being held to secure the seat top or rail E and frame D and webs in that position firnly by the ratclets and pawls u e. The berths 'may then be made np, and are ready for occupancy. When taken down the roll cis turned to slacheu the webs and curtain, the latter detached from its fastenings and stored with the bedding in the space Gr under the seat. The ends ot' the webs are then detached froni their fastenings, and the roll c turned, windig up the webs thereon, and

the end ot' the web m attached to the fastenings m' on the inside ot' the cover o, and the latter shut down, and the roll c turned so as to hold the said cover down securely, the web n being entirely wound up on the roll c. The winch is then applied to the roll b, and the latter turned to carry down the t'rame, seat top or rail, and seat-backs, the latter being guided, by the end o the seat A, into its proper inclined position, the whole then being arranged for a spacious day-car.

It' it should be desired to make up any one berth without making up the others at either end ot' it, the seat-backs of those adjucent to the one to be made up may be detached from the hooks .r or fastenings on the rail E, and the seat-backs ot' only the berth to be made up he raised, the other two remaining in their places.

It is evident that instead of the fastenings m' being placed on the inside ot' the cover o, suitable knobs might be arranged on top of the rail E; but I prefer to attach them to the cover, as above described, as being out of the way when not in use, and useful in holding the cover down to close the opening s seeurely.

In coustructing the car a space may be left between the seats, and the frame D then made and placed within the frame-work A', and the latter placed in its position in said space and properly secured.

I am aware that a canvas support has heretofore been used for the bedding of sleeping-cars, and that a roll located between the seats has also been used; and I do not claim the same, nor either of them, as a feature, separatel y considered.

Having described my invention, what I do claim as new is- 1. The arrangenent of the movable frame D, located between each two adjacent seats ot' a car, with the roll b and the rail E, provided with an opening, s, the same Operating as a support for the up'per berth of a sleeping-car, substantially as described.

2. The conbination of the rolls c and b, the movable frame D, the rail E, and the webs m and n, all arranged and Operating as a means of adjsting the upper and lower berths ot' a sleeping-car, substantially as set forth.

3. The conibination of the rail E, provided with an opening, s, the hinged cover o, i'istenings m', and web m, to close said opening securely when the car is used as a day-car, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the roll c, the webs 'm and n, and the curtains secured at one end to the car, and to the web m at the other end, whereby both the said webs and the curtain maybe stretched to the desired degree by one movement of said roll, substantiall y as described.

5. The combination ot' the top rail E, movable in a vertical direction, the rigid-frame seat-backs 0, arranged to be entirely removed from said rail, and the hook-fastenings m, by which said rigid-frame backs are Secured to said rail, substantially as and for the purpose described.

WILLIAM H. PAIGE. Witnesses:

T. A. CURTIS, C. E. BUCKLAND. 

